Braam, Vogel place sixth
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
Life wasn’t always easy for the East Troy High School wrestling team this season, as injuries played a bit of a toll on the Trojans’ high hopes.
But that didn’t stop four wrestlers from reaching the pinnacle last weekend – and a trip to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 2 State Tournament.
And that’s never a bad place to finish.
Senior Jeremy Dedick finished fourth at 160 pounds, while seniors Cody Vogel (120) and Gabe Braam (138) were sixth.
Sophomore Chase Coleman (145) also competed at 145 pounds, but lost his first match and didn’t receive wrestle back.
The path to get those four to the Kohl Center in Madison was at times a long and winding one, East Troy assistant coach Joe Dedick Sr. said.
“This has been a tough season due to injuries,” he said. “I feel if we were 100 percent healthy, we would be competing for a state team title.
“As a group of young men, we could not ask for a greater group of kids to work with.”
Dedick added he felt fortunate to work with the coaching staff in place at East Troy.
“This is an amazing coaching staff,” he said. “They are here to not only groom them to be the best wrestlers they can be, but to be productive humans. I feel we accomplished that with this group.
“This group of young men are without a doubt going to be successful in life because of their work ethic and heart.”
Dedick leads foursome
The younger Dedick, who finished at 46-8 overall, won his first two matches last Thursday night to move into the semifinals.
“Jeremy had a great tournament,” his dad said. “He was very focused.”
In the opener, he defeated Medford’s Kolten Hanson 10-7, followed by a 3-1 win over River Valley’s Elijah Alt.
Dedick was disqualified in his semifinal match with Freedom’s Seth Vosters, the eventual state champion, but bounced back to pin Wisconsin Dells’ Willie Vandenlangenberg in 4:53 to earn a spot in the third-place match.
“That was huge win,” Dedick sad. “He lost a close match to him earlier in the season. It was great to (avenge) that loss).
Alt got some revenge in that contest, as he beat Dedick 6-2.
Dedick Sr. said he cherished the chance to coach his son one last time.
“I could not be prouder of him,” he said. “I have been coaching him for 13 years, and this was his best tournament by far. He was able to take it one match at a time, (which) is key to a long tournament (run).
“You cannot look too far ahead, and you have to have a short-term memory. I feel truly blessed to have this unique opportunity and would not change anything about it.”
Two finish sixth
Braam (35-13) also moved into the 138-pound semifinal with two early victories.
He defeated Ellsworth’ Devin Drier by major decision 11-1, followed by a pinfall in 5:47 over West Salem/Bangor’s Nathan Schomberg.
In the semifinals, he lost by major decision 9-1 to Bloomer/Colfax’s Brady Simonson, who lost in the finals Saturday night.
Braam split his last two matches, as he pinned Oconto Falls’ Bryce Ash in 3:41, but fell lost a hard-fought 1-0 decision to Schomberg.
Dedick said Braam battled through a torn MCL, which made his sixth-place finish even more impressive.
“Against doctor’s orders, he continued his season,” Dedick said. “That’s the kind of kid he is. He is a true warrior.”
Vogel (120), who fought a hamstring injury, split his first two matches at the Kohl Center. He opened with a dominating 15-4 major decision win over Northwestern’s Calen Kirkpatrick, but fell 6-5 in the quarterfinal to West Salem/Bangor’s Aaron Bahr.
Two nearly Rock Valley Conference rivals met in the next match, as Vogel blanked Big Foot/Williams Bay’s Travis Berryman 5-0 in the consolation round.
Vogel fell in the last two rounds, 6-3 to Marshall’s Jensen Langer, who finished fourth overall, and 6-4 to Bahr in the fifth-place match.
“Cody was banged up,” Dedick said. “He battled through it, but it really affected him. With (the) injury, he just didn’t move the same.”
Good experience for Coleman
Coleman lost by major decision 16-5 to Mauston’s John Maki, who finished fifth overall.
But just a sophomore, the trip to Madison could pay big dividends down the road, Dedick said.
“The future is bright for this kid,” he said. “He is definitely going to be a leader next year, and I look forward to seeing things play out for him. He is definitely dedicated to the sport.”
